Quotes About Honesty

Amicitia sine fraude—to friendship without deceit.

The first casualty of war is the truth.

Anyway, I'm getting really intolerant of liars, fools, blowhards, and power freaks.

My problem is with supervisors who bullshit me and expect loyalty in return. The essence of loyalty is reciprocity. If you're loyal to me, I'll be loyal to you. Bullshit me, and I'll bullshit you. That's the contract.

every cop knows, lies are like cockroaches—if you see one, there are others.

truth needs two people to make it work—the speaker and the listener.

if he were honest with himself, he'd understand that his hate was, in fact, a form of respect. You don't bother to hate what you think is contemptible.

El enamorado es sincero hasta cuando miente.

If Ronnie Clarke knew about Brenda and myself I had probably told him a bit more, but I didn't really care. He was a very old friend now, and there are some things that a friend ought to know.

There are people to whom one need not show off. It's a great comfort sometimes.

It is a curious thing that when one speaks from the heart it is invariably in the worst of taste.

I learned very quickly that even when I kept no secrets from you, you still didn't want to hear the truth.

When everyone feels free to tell you the truth, respect for you dwindles… A wise prince should take another course: choose wise men for your advisors, and allow only them the liberty of speaking the truth to the prince, and only on matters about which you ask, and nothing else. But you should question them about everything, listen patiently to their opinions, then form your own conclusions later.

A man who wishes to profess at all times will come to ruin among so many who are not good.

Everyone sees what you seem to be, few know what you really are; and those few do not dare take a stand against the general opinion.

There is no other way of guarding oneself against flattery than by letting men understand that they will not offend you by speaking the truth; but when everyone can tell you the truth, you lose their respect.

When you see a Minister thinking more of himself than of you, and in all his actions seeking his own ends, that man can never be a good Minister or one that you can trust. For he who has the charge of the State committed to him, ought not to think of himself, but only of his Prince, and should never bring to the notice of the latter what does not directly concern him.

The aim of the people is more honest than that of the nobility, the latter desiring to oppress, and the former merely to avoid oppression.

The truth is that Machiavelli did try to obtain a position from the Medici, but he did not write The Prince in order to win their favour. 3 He was hoping to be offered a new post in recognition of his unquestionable competence in the 'art of the state' and as a reward for his abilities and impeccable honesty, not as a gift in reward for flattery. As he wrote in the famous letter to Francesco Vettori of 10 December 1513:

Everyone sees what you appear to be; few experience what you really are.

Liberality exercised in a way that does not bring you the reputation for it, injures you; for if one exercises it honestly and as it should be exercised, it may not become known, and you will not avoid the reproach of its opposite.

merciful, faithful, humane, religious, upright

The people are more honest in their intentions than the nobles are, because the latter want to oppress the people whereas the people want only not to be oppressed.

For a long time I have not said what I believed, nor do I ever believe what I say. And if sometimes I do happen to tell the truth, I hide it among so many lies that it is hard to find.